Steel Beach by John Varley
"Steel Beach" is a science fiction novel that delves into complex themes of identity, particularly focusing on gender through the experiences of its protagonist, Hildy Johnson. Hildy, originally a male journalist, grapples with the superficial nature of scandal-driven news while navigating personal challenges, including a sex change and deep-seated depression. The narrative unfolds on Luna, a lunar colony managed by a sentient supercomputer named CC, who becomes increasingly affected by Hildy's emotional turmoil.
As Hildy encounters a series of life-altering events, including witnessing a sensational death and becoming embroiled in the assassination of a beloved musician, she seeks solace in a simpler life in Texas. Her journey leads her to the Heinleiners, a group living on the fringes of society, striving for freedom from CC's control. The story highlights Hildy's struggle for agency and meaning amidst chaos, ultimately culminating in her quest for a more fulfilling existence. Through Hildy's experiences, the novel raises questions about the interconnectedness of human emotions and technology, as well as the search for identity in a complex, often isolating world.
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Steel Beach
First published: 1992
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Science fiction—future history
Time of work: The twenty-second century
Locale: Various locations on Luna
The Plot
John Varley’s work examines questions of identity on many levels, with a particular emphasis on gender. The main character of Steel Beach is “Hildebrandt, Hildegarde, and Hildething,” one person who experiences much of the range of possibilities. The other main character is CC, the supercomputer responsible for all the day-to-day operations of life on Luna.
As the novel opens, Hildy Johnson is a male journalist working for the News Nipple and struggling with work that he sees, correctly, to be little more than scandal hunting. Hildy gets three “lucky” breaks in succession. First, he is the sole journalistic eyewitness to a sensational death at his mother’s brontosaurus ranch. Next, he is able to prove the cause of a lunar dome blowout. Finally, he becomes personally involved in the death by assassination of Silvio, the greatest musical star of his generation and one of the few people Hildy respected.
Hildy undergoes a sex change and is actively, if not successfully, suicidal. The toll taken by these stories convinces Hildy to live in Texas, a “disneyland,” where she has a cabin. Hildy hopes that the simple life of Texas will act as therapy, in the same way, perhaps, as the therapy attempted by CC. CC believes that Hildy’s depression, and that of many others like her, is affecting CC adversely. Hildy manages to shock CC by suggesting that rather than humans infecting CC with their depression, perhaps CC actually is infecting the human beings with his (Hildy sees CC as masculine).
When Hildy is persuaded to visit the surface of the Moon for the commemoration of Invasion Day, she sees things that startle her: a butterfly and an apparently naked, briefly visible, girl. This is Hildy’s introduction to the Heinleiners, whose activities are borderline illegal. They live with as few connections to CC as is possible, so as to be “free.” Hildy joins with them in an effort to give herself something more for which to live, her accidental pregnancy notwithstanding.
When CC’s depression pushes him into a kind of schizophrenia, the secret army he has been raising and training is let loose. Hildy is on a “hit” list, scheduled to be killed. She is saved by a string of fortuitous accidents and the grim determination of Winston, a bulldog. Seeking escape, she contacts Walter, her former editor, who is able to get her away to safety and who seems to know more about her than is possible. He drops her near a childhood playhouse, where she can hide out until CC is back under control.
The end of the novel finds Hildy coping with a great loss and encountering a great opportunity. She lives a life halfway between Texas and her old job at the News Nipple while waiting to join the Heinleiners on an adventure.